The art of war
by NemesisDemesne
Summary: She wasn't exactly sure when it happened. Or even when it started. All she knew for sure that, she was falling hard and she could only pray that he was feeling the same way. It would be either the most exhilarating thing that ever happened to her or the stupidest mistake she'd ever make. One thing for sure, the decision would follow her, her entire life.
1. Chapter 1

Black is the color that is no color at all.

Black is the color of a child's still, empty bedroom. The heaviest hour of night—the one that traps you in your bunk, suffocating in another nightmare. Black is the mud, the lidless eye watching your every breath, the low vibrations of the fence that stretches up to tear at the sky.

It is a road. A forgotten night sky broken up by faded stars.

It is the barrel of a new gun, leveled at your heart.

Black is a promise of tomorrow, bled dry from lies and hate.

Betrayal.

Black is the color of memory.

It is their color.

The only one they'll use to tell their story.

Black is what they are supposed to represent.

It is a uniform stretched over their shoulders, but the woman who was in front of him was wearing a red coat over her uniform.

He knew the young woman.

"Commander Ren, I would like to ask you to put my assistent down and alive." despite her words, she was not asking but demanding.

"Layla Hux." he said her name while letting her assistant fall on the ground at their feet, alive but fearful for his life.

"Commander, as much I hate to know that my subordinates are acting foolish ad that they are useless, I like to be informed before one of them is killed." she took a step closer to the man that nearly killed her right hand man. "Go to the medical bay." she added, without turning from Kylo Ren. "And that was an order, so move before I kill you myself, Minka."

Layla Hux, sister of Armitage Hux, also a general in the ranks of the First Order, was not a woman someone could ignore without consequences. She was strong both physically and mentally, and much more dangerous than her brother, as she was unpredictable, by hiding behind smiles and desires that were turning themselves in orders as fast as they rolled down her tongue.

"Your assistant, as you named him, came running after me demanding for something that was not his business." he spoke as he was analyzing the women in front of him.

"Then he will be punished, but not by you, as he was sent by me to investigate why the control panel in that room was not working properly." she smiled at him while talkig one more step closer to him, they were nearlly touching."If you keep killing them, the Starkiller base will not be ready in the time Snoke wants it."

She was probably the only person that could moke him like that, and get alive with it.

"He is still an imbecil. I do not understand why you still keep him around you, General."

" Just because you think someone is useless, Commander, it does not mean that they actually are. Because I can say that you are a danger to this base, but you do not see me wanting to strangle you."He felt how his anger was boiling and wanted to erupt just like a volcano, but he still could not bring himself to treating her like he did with her brother.

"We should go, Commander and see what Captain Phasma found after investigating both the planets and the room of our deceased subordinate. And you should move."

In that second the situation was transformed in a matter of pride. Neither was going to move while being ordered.

"Commander Ren, General Hux." a small voice was heard behind Kylo Ren, making him turn towards the one that spoke.

"I am sorry to interrupt you, but general Hux is expecting you in his office." just like most of the people who were working on that base, he was afraid of speaking to them, as both the generals and the commander were impulsive.

"Then we should go." Layla walked passed him with determination, her heels clattering on the metallic surface.

Kylo Ren could feel how the situation was enjoyable to hear. It was just a game for her, one that she could not seem to lose. Every time he thought that he had won, she would play out one more card. A game that started a few months back, when she first stepped on the Starkiller base, turning everything upside down.

The atmosphere in the entire base changed with her arrival. It was also not a welcome thing that her quarters were right beside his own.

"It is not like you to be late, Layla." Hux spoke as she sat to face him. "Ren, there is not like you to let someone alive after they annoyed you."

"Well, brother, there is a start for everything. Now, we should continue." she smiled while tapping with her foot on the floor.

"First of all, I would like to tell that we have found new places where the rebels are hidding, and possible pieces of the map to Skywalker. I am going to send you the details, so you could come up with a plan." Phasma intervined as she looked at them.

"Second of all, for the death of Landon Onesimus was caused by an arachnid. The medical team found this guy in his clothes. It is small,but highly dangerous." The woman put on the tabel something that looked like a small box, but made of glass. Inside it was a creature with eight legs that was fighting to escape, jumping from side to side.

The fear travelled in Layla's veins but never made it to her facial muscles or skin. Her complexion remained pale and matt, her eyes as steady as if she was talking about her manechiure.

It was intoxicating.

"We have to be carefull, there might be more." said Hux stading up showing that the meeting was over. but for Kylo that meeting was an amusing one, as he found one way to entertain himself, in that sea of black.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Fear is shackles, fear is a knife in the gut slowly twisted, fear is a constant hammer on the head. Yet fear also evaporates like water under an early summer sun. When fear comes walk with confidence right past, because like the ghosts of children's nightmares, fear is an illusion. "_

Those were the words of her father when she told him for the first time that was scared. He repeated the words when she told him, that maybe she was not made to be a general.

And she did exactly as he said. She walked past everything until the fear was gone. But she could not walk past the hideous creature that was waiting her on the floor. It looked exactly like the one Phasma showed them days ago, but the one in front of her was bigger.

Layla's only response was to jump on the bed, glued to the wall, thinking of a way to trap that thing. Unfortunately, she was petrified by her fear.

She could have called for help, but she was not going to be the one that stabbed her pride.

So she waited to calm down, and come up with something. But she never dreamed that the one that will open the door would be Kylo Ren, apprentice of the Supreme Leader. The man that made the life on the Starkiller base funnier but exhausting.

All she could hear in her head was her inner demon screaming at her to stop, but her body was not listening. She found herself of Kylo Ren, feeling relieved that there was someone.

"Your despair was not letting me sleep. You have to learn to quite your feelings." he spoke while the arachnid was floating in the air, before being crushed by an invisible force.

"General Hux, as much I enjoy your presence and I may add that I prefer you over your brother, and as much as I enjoy where you are right now, as I am, after all a man, I have to ask you to take a step back and meet me in an hour in the training room. I have to make you learn to be quieter when it comes to your feeligs and there is only one way that I know of." Yet, he did not take his hand of her waist.

"Or, you can come right now, but I do think that you do not want people to think that there is something between us.." He pointed out her robe that was showing much more skin than she wanted.

"You bloody bastard!" she screamed, as she pushed him in the wall behind him. Or tried to, as she could not even budge him.

"Be quiet. Most people sleep at this hour." Her eyes flashed with indignance and anger, much like lightning on a pitch black night.

"I will give you fifteen minutes to get changed. I will wait here."

"I hope that this will be fun, at least." A Cheshire grin lit up the man's face like a sallow candle in a dirty paper lamp. It didn't take long for Layla to emerge from her bathroom, dressed in a black attire in which she could move freely, and with her red hair up in a pony tail.

"You mask your feelings, you ignore them thus for a Force user like me, you are awfully loud." Kylo explained at the same time they walked on the matress

"I want you to attack me, with all you have." Layla looked at him and then at the stick she was holding and again at him.

Her movements were fluid and strong, but Kylo saw that she was not fighting with him, she was not fighting with her brain, but with her heart.

The man that trained her thought her well.

Their match ended with her pinning him down with her body. Both of them covered in sweat, both of them breathless.

"Am I still a bloody bastard?" Layla smiled at him, leaning slightly forward, pressing the palms of her hands on his toned chest

"Yes, you are still a bloody bastard. You dared to give me orderes. I take orders just from the Supreme Leader, and you my dear Kylo, are not the Supreme Leader. But, I can say that your only punishment for this arrogance is to fight me, from time to time."

Layla could hear the little demon screaming again at her as she closed the distance that was between them.

He flipped her on her back, onto the mattress, and laid between her legs as he pushed them apart with his hands.

"Do not blame me, you started this."


	3. Chapter 3

Whoever said one-night stands were supposed to be simple with no strings attached had clearly never thought about someone like Layla.

After the little adventure she had with Kaylo Ren, she could not think about anything else. She threw this on the bruises that appeared on her back as a result of their training, both of them. There was passion, but not love, they were fighting for dominance. They were rough, they knew that the other one can take it.

But to only put the blame on that would be a lie, and Layla refused to lie unless she could gain something from it. She liked it, she loved it, she wanted more. But she did not want just sex, she wanted him.

But her needs could wait, as the heating system of the base was destroyed in an explosion that occurred the day prior. And if that was not a problem in the same places, for the Starkiller base and his habitants was a huge issue, as they lived on a gigantic rock covered in ice.

Her brother was desperate. He was supposed to take care of the construction of the base, while she was taking care of the army. Her heels were clattering on the metallic surface as she was making her way towards another meeting.

"This base is not even half finished, we are late, the case with the arachnid is to over yet as there were multiple reports in the last few days and now the heating is not working." she stated while entering in the room. She was the last one to come and she was already ready to leave. She wanted to go to her room and sleep throw everything.

"I know, Layla. I know. And the Supreme Leader wants to be everything ready in 6 months. And for a fact the heating system shoul start working tonight or tomorrow morning." her brother was more tired than her. The sleepless nights were making their presence know by making the pale skin around hiseyes purple.

"It better be that way. We may be clones, but even we can not fight after staying in cold 24/7" added captain Phasma while putting her mask on."I will leave. Trainings must happen, with or without heating."

"Sure. Layla, I also have to announce that the Supreme Leader wants us to meet our mother, at her side of the family are sponsors for the Order. And when I say we I mean you. Also Commander Ren will join you, in case you need help. You will leave tomorrow." And the meeting was over. The meeting was just a bad joke, one made to assure Snoke that they were working. Kaylo was not thrilled about the fact that he had to go with Layla, as he always hated the formal events, but when the young woman appeared at his door

"Kaylo, tell me, would you mind a partner for tonight, someone to keep you warm at tonight?"

But when all was said and all was done, he could at least gain some fun. He deserved it. Snoke was always after their neck. He refused to understand that even he could not control everything.

"Sure." She was wearing a long, black robe and was barefoot.

"So, this is the room of Kylo Ren. Perfect, not even a peck of dust and a disgustinglycomfortable bed." she let herself fall on the bed with a sly smile.

"I want to warn you, some of my relatives will try to eat you up. Try not to be too dashing." Her hair reminded them of the burnt orange sunset, it was warm and it tumbled over her shoulders like rusty water. Just by standing on the bed, with her green eyes shining like she was planning something, he could tell that she was part of the Order, and that she will not betray it.

He liked how she looked on his bed, he would sure not mind to come and see her there every day.

"I see." He enjoyed how she looked there, but he was not falling for her, despite the fact that he was always atracted by strong women, something he got from his father.

"Well, we should go to sleep."

The sheets were colder than usual, but it was not a problem, as the woman next to him refused to move an inch from him, stating that she came there to be warm, not to freeze to death.

But the next day, she was as cold as was at the base. For the first time since she arrived there she was wearing the full uniform of the Order. For the first time she was there she was not wearing her signature red lipstick, but a black one.

She looked dangerous, and despite the perfect skin and her makeup, Kaylo knew that she was tired, as she didn't sleep. It was still remarkable that she was preparing in his bathroom. He saw each and every weapon that she had on her. Layla wanted blood, he sensed her bloodlust and it was clear that she was not in the mood for a prank.

The only thing that she said "A woman has to be able to look gorgeous, while killing someone. It is not easy."

And everything was clear when he met her mother.

Beatrice Hux, was a beautiful woman and it was clear that Layla was her daughter, but they were like the day and the night. While the younger woman was succesful and was known for her intelligence and her sly personality, the older woman was childish, wishing just for simple things. Despite the fact that Layla was a general in the post powerful organization in the galaxy, her mother still expressed her dissapoiment in Layla not being able to find a husband and make some children.


End file.
